Lucky Day
by QuasiOuster
Summary: An unexpected rendezvous between Jo and Zane, an unexpected interruption and an unexpected end to an average Eureka day.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: First things first, I don't own any parts of Eureka. ****This is probably the most random story I have ever written but it was a request from my beta so I went with it. Any strangeness I will certainly blame on her (and possibly the wine too). I wrote this as a long one shot but upon a suggestion, I split it up into 4 parts for ease of reading. I'm self-conscious about it so I hope it doesn't seem too choppy. **

**Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it or at least enjoy the oddity of it.**

** Chapter 1**

A hectic flurry of activity greeted Jo when she stepped into Cafe Diem. Most people had the day off so it seemed that everyone had the bright idea that the most common hangout in town was the place to spend it. Global Dynamic was on a skeleton crew stemming from an earlier event in Dr. Ericsson's lab involving a nasty airborne bacteria that got loose in the building's air circulation system. It turned out to be harmless but it had left a particularly foul odor in its wake, a stench that had found its way all over GD.

In a moment of reason, Fargo approved the shutting down of the facility while the air was being purified. However, Jo suspected it was mostly because the accident had revealed that the perpetrating noxious bacteria could be nicely integrated into the latest non-lethal weapons project. It was one of Eureka's familiar scientific non-sequitors. Fargo had taken particular pleasure in praising Dr. Ericsson's one-upping Parrish but after spending the last 6 hours inhaling the microbiologist's disgusting experiment, not to mention dodging his pathetic attempts to hit on her, she was as through hearing about him as Parrish.

She was feeling normal again after having gone home to change and wash the putrid out of her hair. She had set up the necessary security protocols for the purification process but one major benefit of being the boss is that she didn't have to be there herself. And since it was actually her usual lunch time she hadn't thought twice about having a leisurely meal in town. But looking around, she hadn't seen Cafe Diem so packed - or Vincent and his staff so scurried - in a long time and from her quick scan of the place, there didn't even look like there was a place to sit.

"Hey Jo," Vincent called out from behind the counter after having delivered a few meals to the Robotics Integration Department sitting in the corner. "It's a little crazy but if you don't mind waiting for a few minutes, I think I can squeeze you in the back over there."

Jo glanced over to the back of the restaurant that Vincent had indicated and saw the two people sitting there looking in no hurry to leave their perch. She glanced back outside and decided that a change of plans was in order. "That's okay, Vincent. It looks crazy in here. Could I just get my usual and I'll take it to go?"

"Of course, but are you sure? It's your regular lunch time. Surely a spot will open up soon." They both looked around at the full but happily comfortable patrons and Jo smiled over at Vincent's optimism and willingness to squeeze her in.

"It's fine actually. I've got the afternoon off and it's not too bad out. I think I'll just eat outside." It was a nice day, a little brisk but sunny. There were still a few tables out in front of Cafe Diem, all occupied, but there were some benches a little farther off that were currently empty. She had brought her tablet to finish up some reports and she could do that just as easily outside. In fact, it might even go smoother without all the distractions in the restaurant.

Vincent looked skeptical but his next order was up and two more people had walked in after Jo. "Well, alright, one Jo lunch special coming up. But I'm throwing in some hot tea to keep your hands warm."

"Make it a hot apple cider with cinnamon and you're on." Jo grinned softly at Vincent and his constant need to mother not only her but the entire town. He was definitely one of the best things about living in Eureka.

"Done!" he exclaimed happily. "Coming right up. Give me 10 minutes." He scurried past her to greet the two people behind her while simultaneously refilling the drinks of the tables closest to the door.

Jo walked back outside and pulled her blazer tighter around her, taking a deep breath of the clean and definitely not stinky, fresh air. She was glad she had chosen to put on a warm sweater along with her jeans and boots and since her hair was down for a change, her neck was mostly protected from the chilled breeze. She walked down the block a ways and crossed over to the other side of the street, waving at a couple of GD scientists with whom she was friendly. She settled on one of the benches in the small, open park and noted the time so she could pick up her food as soon as it was ready.

Looking around at everyone going about their business made her think once again about how special it was to live in Eureka. Sure things with this timeline shift hadn't turned out to her liking and the constant accidents, eccentric scientists and general high-tech buffoonery that seemed to occur here made things particularly stressful at times. But at the end of the day, if she couldn't be out there in active service, there was nowhere else she'd rather be.

Leaning back on her bench and taking out her tablet, she clicked on the viewscreen and brought up the list of reports for her review.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Zane parked his bike along the curb and strapped his helmet down over the handlebars. Grabbing his tablet, he tapped it on and immediately started making additions and calculating changes to the data that streamed across the screen. Using his careful maneuvering skills learned from the countless digital multitasking responsibilities necessary for his job, he dodged past pedestrians and leisurely made his way to Cafe Diem.

"Zane!" Vincent announced as he walked through the door still running equations and sliding things around on the screen. "You're right on time. Your order will be out in just a minute. I'm not sure when I'll be able to find you a seat though."

Zane finally looked up from his work and noticed how packed the restaurant was. "Geez, give people the afternoon off and they just idle like cattle," he said to Vincent with his usual mischievous smirk. "It's cool, I'll just take it to go. I've got to finish up the last few details on the prototype for my new project before I submit it to Jo for security clearance. I've been promising it to her for like two days," he rambled absently, having already returned his attention to the screen in front of him.

Vincent frowned and glanced outside to see if he could spot Jo anywhere. "Well, she's around somewhere waiting for her lunch order so if you're avoiding her, you might want to be careful." He hadn't heard about a blowup between those two in a while but it never hurt to be careful when it came to them. He grabbed Zane's packaged to-go order from the window and handed it to him.

Zane looked around as if she was about to walk through the door at any minute. But instead of trepidation or defiant fear he looked rather anticipatory in a wholly strange way. "Really," he replied. "When is she coming back?" he asked almost eagerly. Seeing Vincent's confused look, he added, "I mean, because I'm almost done and it's better to just give it to her and be done with it. You know, so I can get her off my back," he nonchalantly explained.

"Yeah, sure," Vincent responded warily. But soon he was distracted as two more orders came up. "Well, she said she was going to take her lunch outside but she should be back in a few minutes to pick it up." He carefully grabbed the plates and brought them over to a table nestled next to the couches. Zane followed behind him suddenly interested in this new information. He skittered around Vincent as he cleared one table and removed the empty plates from another occupied table after taking their order for coffee and dessert.

"Um, if her order's ready, I could take it to her." Vincent looked at him skeptically over his shoulder as he made his way back behind the counter. "I mean, she couldn't be that far and I've got to drop this off to her anyway," he explained waving his tablet.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want any trouble with you two and I wouldn't put it past you to get back on her bad side. And this time the tasering won't be on me."

Zane chuckled remembering the time Jo chased him out of Cafe Diem after he had switched out the sugar for salt in Jo's Vincespresso. "No way, Vincent, I wouldn't put you in harms way like that. It looks like you're swamped here," he said indicating the still packed restaurant and patio area. "I just thought I'd take some of the load off. Besides, it might put me in the Enforcer's good graces if I deliver her lunch to her after such an annoying morning." Vincent opened his mouth to protest further but Zane cut him off. "I swear, I'll be a good boy." He placed his hand over his heart and implored Vincent with his most charming smile.

Always a sucker for charm, Vincent relented. "Well, ok but I don't want to hear about any shenanigans. You eat here often enough that my revenge could be both easily accomplished and undetectable."

"Duly warned," Zane replied expressing how impressed he was with Vincent's mild but effective threat.

"Good. Now here's her order," he explained handing Zane another to-go box slightly smaller than his own. "Lentil soup with truffles, a side of mixed fruit and a medium apple cider. With cinnamon, tell her I didn't forget."

"Thanks," Zane called turning to head out the door as Vince went to take an order across the room.

"And tell her I'll roll out the red carpet for her next time."

The bell above the door rang as three more people came inside looking for an afternoon indulgence. "Will do. And, uh, good luck," he added flashing Vincent his most encouraging smile.

Vincent nodded and sighed, pointing to the table in the back that he had just cleared. "I'll be with you in a sec."

* * *

Zane strolled outside and surveyed the area looking for where Jo may have gone to wait for her order. He quickly spotted her in a clearing a couple of blocks away sitting on a bench with her back to him. She had her tablet in her hand resting on her lap but she wasn't looking at it. Instead she was staring out towards the town, the light wind not seeming to bother her as it gently tossed her long hair around her shoulders. Her expression was neutral but everything about her indicated that she was relaxed and enjoying her time outdoors. He smiled to himself thinking he was going to enjoy popping in on her afternoon and made his way towards where she was sitting.

"I got something for you, JoJo," he murmured softly in her ear. He thought he had for sure managed to sneak up on her but he should have known better. She just raised an eyebrow at him in a silent request for an explanation. A good explanation. "Uh, of course, I meant your lunch," he explained innocently holding up her take-out box.

She didn't respond but she did grab her box and immediately pulled out the cider.

"Vincent wanted me to remind you about the cinnamon," he offered. He walked around the bench and at seeing his own to-go container, she moved a little to give him some room.

"Thanks," she finally responded taking a long sip of her hot cider and closing her eyes at the obvious pleasure of it.

Still standing, Zane just stared down at her in appreciation. "I'll have to remember your little weakness, Lupo." She rolled her eyes at him but said nothing. He sat down next to her and pulled out his veggie burger underneath the mountain of fries surrounding it. "Actually, I have something else for you." With his one free hand, he transferred his prototype specs to her.

She looked down briefly as her tablet beeped acknowledging the transfer but she didn't move to pick it up even though she had sent several threatening emails in the past week about his tardiness in sending it to her. "Is that all you have for me," she asked blandly taking another sip of her cider."

"I thought you'd never ask," he leaned in to whisper while she pulled out her soup. As inconspicuously as possible, he put his tablet to the side next to him and with a clear purpose, ran his fingers down her arm until he reached her hand resting on the top of her soup bowl. "You're looking particularly gorgeous today by the way." He tried to quell the heat in his gaze as he stared into her eyes but as was the case anytime he got her alone, his hormones took more of a front seat than was proper in decent company. She retuned his appreciation by silently raking her eyes over him clad in his standard jeans with a thermal shirt peeking out of a flannel button-down. Chilly days being more to his liking he had foregone a jacket to enjoy the weather. But before she could grouse at the boldness of his greeting, he chuckled and pulled his hand away. He marveled at how she could look as in control as ever after that. She simply began to eat her soup and flashed him a warning glare that lacked any real malice.

"Someone's in a good mood," he commented before tearing into his fries and stretching his legs out in the grass. "And don't look at me like that, you'll only encourage me." Jo's responding laugh was music to his ears.

They continued their lunch in companionable conversation. They tried to keep the searing glances to a minimum in case anyone was paying them any attention. She said she would look at his specs before the end of the day (to which he had offered an expected wisecrack in response) and then she would forward his report to Fargo. But she otherwise seemed uninterested in discussing work. After she had finished her soup and fruit, she tried to steal a couple of his fries which led to a particularly provocative round of bantering and innuendo that occurred when people were still in the early stages of being intimate.

Zane couldn't help but think that what had started out as a week full of deadlines, disruption and the usual Eureka disaster was actually turning into a pretty stellar day. Work done, he was about to get the afternoon off and it was starting with a most pleasant impromptu lunchtime date with his newly minted although completely secret significant other/girlfriend/she-can-call-it-whatever-she-wants-as-long-as-she-keeps-calling.

That is until a shadow showed up and hovered over the two, rating as probably the biggest buzzkill since, well, the last time he had shown up. Not wanting to invite trouble but clearly annoyed, Zane looked to Jo for a cue but she was clearly stunned and uncomfortable.

"Hey, what's up?" Zane offered, not knowing what else to say. Jo looked less than pleased by his greeting. "I mean, to what do we owe this afternoon visit, General Mansfield?" He hadn't done anything suspect that he recalled - he was behaving himself a lot more now that the stakes were higher for getting on the security chief's bad side. But if he was going to be reprimanded, demeaned or otherwise yelled at for something, he may as well get as many barbs in as possible.

"Maybe it's just your lucky day, Donovan" General Mansfield acknowledged sarcastically, staring coldly at Zane before turning his attention to Jo. "Lupo. A word," he ordered. He turned and began slowly walking away expecting her to follow.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Jo looked at Zane who shrugged questioningly and then rose quickly to catch up with General Mansfield along the path leading to the main road.

They walked slowly and in silence for several paces, the general looking straight ahead and Jo matching his stride confidently. However, she gave him a few quick sideways glances trying to determine what he could possibly be pissed off about this time. She had fully briefed him on the smelly bacteria incident and while he was annoyed that so much work was being lost because of the accident, he had been just as pleased as Fargo about the benefits of the breakthrough the situation had yielded. When she had left the meeting with him, Fargo and Ericsson's team, he had been about as upbeat as she'd ever seen him. It was a switch from even a couple months back when he would rant and rave about every little thing. Mansfield hadn't been too pleased with Fargo's occasional independent streak. Allison had warned Fargo to be careful as that was how she had ended up on the outs with him. But Fargo being Fargo, he was doing a decent job of balancing his signature kiss-up act with actually developing a leadership style. He was no Stark or Allison but as far as directors went, he wasn't doing too bad a job. In fact, ever since they closed the investigation on the stolen DED device, the disasters had been kept to a minimum. Or at least a minimum for Eureka.

Not being able to stand the silence any longer, Jo cleared her throat, reminding him of her presence. "Uh, sir?" she asked. "Is there a problem?" She couldn't think of anything that required her attention but his continued silent act, mind game was starting to pull at her temper.

When they had moved a significant distance from the bench and from Zane, General Mansfield stopped and turned to her. "Lupo, I will tell you like I told Fargo not long ago. I'm tired of coming out to the middle of nowhere Pacific Northwest every time one of your scientists gets out of control."

"My scientists?" was her ill-conceived, dubious response. His pointed look made her bite back her sarcasm. "Sorry sir."

He sighed and turned to continue walking towards his escort vehicle. "As I was saying," he said shortly, "the antics of this town and the GD facility are getting wearisome." He paused meaningfully but when Jo didn't interrupt again he continued. "But in the last several months, I have been quite pleased with the autonomy my team has shown in keeping this group of -" he scanned the area assessing the various residents that were strolling around as usual, "- _colorful_ personnel together. I'd like to think that you and Fargo and even Dr. Blake have a hand in that."

"And Sheriff Carter," Jo added instinctively, still loyal to her old partner and friend.

General Mansfield stiffened and clenched his hands briefly around the hat he was carrying. "And Sheriff Carter." He stopped again a few feet away from his SUV where two military personnel waited to escort him to his waiting transport back to Washington DC. "I won't belabor the point. Do not give me a reason to fall back into old habits of babysitting the upsets that this town used to cause on a regular basis."

"No sir," Jo responded in stunned compliance. She could barely remember the last time General Mansfield wasn't outright yelling or berating them for the regular fallout of working in a cutting edge, progressive research facility. But she wasn't stupid so there was no way she was going to contradict his rarely given praise.

"Good." He looked back towards the bench and her eyes followed in time to see Zane's head snap back forward, clearly after having been tracking them as they moved farther away. "Donovan in particular has been on his best behavior lately."

The last thing Jo wanted to do was get into it with him over Zane. She had thought her credibility with him completely ruined after the accident with the Sky Cruiser. But her having been proven right about Zane was enough for them not to ever speak on the incident. She didn't know how to respond, or more particularly, how he wanted her to respond, so she didn't say anything.

When it was clear she wasn't going to add anything, General Mansfield gave her a quizzical look. "You know Lupo, not too long ago, just the mere mention of that felon's name would have sent you on a rant ten minutes long on what a screw-up he is. From what I gathered, you barely put up with him." He quickly glanced back over to Zane who had activated his tablet and was tapping away intently. "Now, I see you two sharing a leisurely lunch in the park?" he asked incredulously. "I'm more observant than you all around here think." His fixed gaze seemed to cut right into her with it's intensity. "And I see the way he looks at you."

Jo had to forcefully relax herself having clenched up from the moment the general had called Zane a felon. His further insinuations made her even more tense. "It's a working lunch, sir," Jo responded instinctively. "He ran into me while I was sitting out here going over my reports. He was submitting his prototype for security clearance and since I know that it's a top priority-".

"Stand down, Jo," Mansfield said with a rare amusement in his eye. Jo clamped her mouth shut already embarrassed by her reaction to his observation of the two of them together. He sighed and crossed his arms behind his back in a show of casualness and nodded approvingly when it appeared that Jo had sufficiently calmed down."

He looked at the young woman standing before him and made a decision that he briefly considered he would regret. But he subsequently dismissed the concern and offered her a few choice words of wisdom. "When I took you off Special Forces and assigned you here, I had big hopes for you. I still do."

Jo looked up at him warily. She was in no mood for a dressing down from her superior. She knew that she was good at her job. She was efficient, fearless, thorough and her staff and the rest of GD trusted her. As far as she could tell, even when she was still Deputy Lupo, she had the respect of the town's residents. She was especially proud of how quickly she had taken to her role as head of GD when the timeline changed having no idea what was expected of her. It was all new to her but she had worked hard to keep up her end of things so that no one would suspect that she and the others had violated time travel protocols. Of course, she couldn't throw that in Mansfield's face but for him to suggest that she was in some way screwing up just because she wasn't terrorizing Zane was a huge offense to her.

Her rising anger must have shown because General Mansfield was quick to dispel any insinuation that he was criticizing her at the moment. "I stand by my decision to bring you here and to make you head of GD security against the direct recommendations of other people in Washington. You're doing yourself proud here. If you continue with this performance - and you continue displaying sound judgment," he emphasized tersely, briefly turning towards Zane, "you're going to have an extremely bright future ahead of you."

At this point Jo had no idea where he was going with his little talk. But if she knew anything at all about the general it was that he liked to keep everyone he worked with off balance.

"As you know, I served a long time alongside your father." Jo's eyes widened at the general's mention of her dad. Of course, she knew they had served together, she had met him a few times growing up and over the years. But he had never mentioned having anything but a passing professional connection with Colonel Joseph Lupo. "He loved his country more than many soldiers that I've served with." That wasn't a surprise to Jo. He not only lived this sense of military pride but had instilled it in her and all of her brothers. "But as much as he loved his country, he loved his children that much more."

Jo let out a breath she hadn't even known she was holding. It was difficult to talk about her father sometimes and although this conversation had come completely from left field, she was also somewhat happy to have him on her mind.

"Jo, you've always been an outstanding soldier. You're strong and focused and you don't let anything get in the way of getting the job done. I know your father loved that about you even when it caused him a headache or two." His eyes softened to see her smile sadly at that. "I know Joe raised his kids to be independent and to do what they thought was right, no matter what anyone else said or thought about it."

Jo was having a difficult time controlling the emotions General Mansfield had stirred up by mentioning her family, both her late father but also reminding her of her brothers in the service that she rarely got to see. "Sir, I …" But she had no idea what he was getting at and didn't know how to respond to what he was saying.

Momentarily distracted by a fast-approaching Director Fargo, no doubt accompanying the General to his first checkpoint for a final debriefing, he placed his hat securely on his head with an authoritative flourish. "He always wanted you kids to think for yourself and make up your own mind about what's best for you. If something feels right, then trust your instincts." He paused, watching her struggle to maintain control of her emotions. "I see the way he looks at you," he repeated without any rancor that she could discern and intentionally directed his attention back towards Zane. Then he turned and walked the rest of the way to his car, meeting Fargo along the way. "You'd be wise to think on that," he said before climbing into the SUV after Fargo. This time at his mention of Zane, his expression held none of the exasperation it usually did when he was dealing with one of Eureka's most insufferable scientists. Instead, if Jo hadn't known better, she would have sworn to seeing a small smile crack his face when he looked back at her through the window.

Of course, he couldn't leave her on too much of a sentimental note. "Don't let them break my town, Lupo," he barked out before they drove off.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Jo's automatic "Yes, sir" was drowned out by the acceleration of General Mansfield's car's engines as they drove down Eureka's main road. Jo just stood there in shock and a maelstrom of warring emotions. As the car sped away, she slowly turned and, in a complete daze, walked back the way she and the general had come. If his point had been to completely throw her off, then he had succeeded completely. His words, which were, in fact, her father's lessons that she had never forgotten, echoed in her thoughts. And on top of all the feelings that it brought up, had he actually been suggesting that she was … that she and Zane were … ?" Her head was spinning.

"Hey, you okay," Zane asked breaking through her cloud of confusion and reflection as she sat down next to him. She looked up into his cool, blue eyes full of curiosity but also concern. Wary of seeming inappropriate in public, he had laid a gentle hand on her shoulder for several long moments. He was looking down at her trying to catch her eye but being careful not to be too much in her personal space. "Was he pulling his usual stick-up-the-ass, overseer routine? Man, that guy is never satisfied. He has got to get more fiber in his diet." His joke fell flat under the circumstances and his worry deepened as Jo's stunned expression remained firmly intact.

Jo's head was still swimming but after connecting with Zane in just those few moments, it all instantly fell into place. General Mansfield was right. She was smart and fearless and she went after the things that she wanted. And right now, what she wanted was to grab Zane and drag him back to her house so that she could have her way with him.

She finally relaxed and let out a calming breath. For the first time in a long time, she felt like things were going to be okay. It was a beautiful day, she had a job she loved, and she was about to let herself fall in love with a smartass, trouble-making, charming, completely irresistible mad scientist - for the second time. Not caring who might be watching, she smiled brilliantly up at him. "You wanna come over to my place and hang out?"

Zane's concern quickly turned to playful skepticism. "What did he say to get you all worked up?" he asked grinning down at her. "Not that I'm complaining." She would never admit it to him but she loved how he could turn up the cocky charm at the drop of a dime.

"I'll fill you in but let's get out of here," she said grabbing their empty lunch containers for recycling."

He joined her cleanup efforts although he was a bit disturbed by how she had him feeling a little off balance. The quizzical glances he kept sneaking at her were certainly not going unnoticed. But he had to admit that the cool breeze gently lifting her long hair off her face and the bright sun reflecting off her her flushed cheeks was hitting him right in the libido. "Whatever you say, JoJo. I'm at your service." He discarded the last of their things and sat back beside her on the bench while she shut down her tablet. "I'll even be the perfect model of decorum as I walk you to your car. The good citizens of Eureka will be none the wiser about our illicit affair," he assured her with a saucy wink and a grin.

Jo cocked her head to the side marveling at his irreverence but stopped pretending that it didn't turn her on a little. Of course, two could play at that game. "No need to be a perfect model," she replied in her best sultry drawl. "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

His mouth dropped open slightly at her implication. To his credit, the look of shock on his face was fleeting but it was pretty clear that she had gotten him good. Not to be outdone, he was quick to rebound with tentative enthusiasm. "Why Josefina, are you suggesting that if I were to, I don't know, gift you with a post-lunch peck on the mouth, you wouldn't freak out on me?"

A small grin passed across her lips as she slid closer to him on the bench. "You're the resident thrill seeker, why don't you find out?"

He wasn't going to mess around waiting for further incentive as he gently grasped her waist with one hand, nudging her further towards him. Smiling down softly at her with sincerity and affection, he gently lifted her chin and brought his lips down to meet hers. The feel of her steady hand as it came up to rest against his chest along with her instant response to him was electric. The addictive taste of her mouth on his wasn't bad either. He lingered for a few moments and released her, willing his senses to return to him and his heart to cease its hammering in his chest.

While their kisses had always inspired excitement in them both, for their first kiss in public, it was incredibly anticlimactic. No one had paid much attention to their little afternoon tryst, so involved in their own pleasures and realities.

Zane reached down and took hold of the hand that had been resting against his chest, pulling her to her feet. "Would I be pushing my luck if I held your hand while I walked you to your car?"

Jo, flushed with pleasure and unable to hide her adoration, as she let him lead her around the bench. "Hadn't you heard? Today's your lucky day, Donovan," she replied intertwining her fingers firmly in his.

And in their newfound contentment, they sauntered lazily across the grass each quietly reveling in the other and the brilliance of the afternoon's radiance. On the way to her car they received a few double-takes but they ignored their nosy neighbors and went about their business. Jo unlocked the driver's side door and Zane held it open for her as she stepped around to get in.

"So I'll see you in a little bit?" he asked.

"Don't forget the Rocky Road." Her parting smirk made him want to ravish her right there in the open. Instead, he watched her slide into the driver's seat and he closed the door securely after her, grinning from ear to ear as he walked backwards towards his bike a block and a half away.

"Lucky day," he muttered to himself, smiling widely. "That's what I'm talking about." He quickly mounted his bike, helmet in place after double checking that his mini cooling unit stocked with a pint of Rocky Road ice cream was still snugly stored in his storage compartment. His last thought before driving off after Jo was to wonder how he knew that particular purchase would come in handy tonight.

**The End.**

Feedback is always welcome (but not necessary). Thank you for reading and sticking with it.


End file.
